


Our Promise

by GoldenEnderFox



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Pregnancy, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29267802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenEnderFox/pseuds/GoldenEnderFox
Summary: No P5/P5R Spoilers! (Basically AU) Loosely based around the Persona 5 Strikers DemoAkira promised Kasumi that he would put a hold on the Phantom Thieves business. He breaks that promise when he and Ryuji are captured within the Metaverse.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Niijima Makoto & Takamaki Ann, Niijima Makoto/Takamaki Ann
Kudos: 14





	1. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Futaba has to break the news that Akira and Ryuji are captured.

[Joker x Kasumi | Perfect GMV](https://youtu.be/MQeDKjeXXUI) (My Joker x Kasumi video because there isn't enough of them!)  
All the characters are aged up for the sake of the fic!

Chapter 1 - Taken (KASUMI APPRECIATION FIC)

* * *

Oracle was in shock. It was her job to guide them and get them out safe. The worst had happened to Joker and Skull. They had been captured by a group of rogue shadows within the Jail they had entered.

" _Beginning Navigation,_ " the new updated app on the phone had said. Futaba was quite proud of that app.

Ryuji, Akira and Morgana had suddenly been transported into the Metaverse with no explanation... Confusion was all they could feel. Shadows had already started to surround them so they couldn't ask questions now. Akira hadn't fought a Shadow in so long... He missed this. He had promised Kasumi that he wouldn't do things like this for the time being due to the situation they were both in. It had only been a few weeks since they found out they were going to be parents in many months time. It had been three years since they had gotten together, time really did fly by.

Sitting in this cell with Skull wasn't exactly where he envisioned he would end up. Mona was lucky enough to slip away and leave the Metaverse thanks to Oracle's guidance.

"Dammit!" Skull exclaiming, slamming his fist against the stone wall, "We weren't even meant to come here! What were we thinking?!"

Joker sat on the cold floor, his back to the wall, "'Sumi is gonna kill me," he muttered.

"If we don't get killed by the assholes running this place first..." Skull sighed, sitting next to his friend, "We just have to wait for the right moment to outsmart them, right? We can out get out of this," he tried to reassure Joker.

All Joker could think of was how Kasumi would feel. He _promised_ her. He _promised_ he wouldn't go and put himself in danger, for the sake of their family that they were building.

"Just gotta wait this one out," Joker groaned, removing his mask to pinch his nose in frustration and annoyance, "We'll get out of here."

* * *

"No no no no no!" Futaba exclaimed, running through the door of LeBlanc.

"Futaba?!" Sojiro exclaimed, "You're getting the floor wet!" she was covered in rain, not seeming to care as she trudged through the cafe.

"That's not important right now!" she said, clear worry in her voice.

Sojiro suddenly realised that Futaba was in a panicked state, "Wh-What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"This is really really bad!" she said, failing to keep herself composed.

Sojiro stepped away from the counter and placed his hands on the girl's shoulders, "Take a deep breath, Futaba," he pleaded, "Tell me what happened."

"It's Ak-" the girl began to speak fast but was cut off by loud scratching at the door. She wasted no time in making her way over to open it, leaving another trail of water behind her, "Mona!" she exclaimed, seeing the cat on the other side of the door. He quickly entered, completely drenched from the rain.

"S-So c-cold," he shivered, jumping up onto one of the tables.

Sojiro sighed at the sight of all the water as Morgana shook some of it off. He walked over with a towel, preparing to dry the cat, "Doesn't this cat never leave Akira's side?" he questioned.

Morgana struggled against the towel, not enjoying the feel. Futaba spoke to him in panic, "A-Akira! And Ryuji! They- What- How-?"

"Slow down, Futaba," Sojiro said, "What happened to them?"

"CAPTURED! KIDNAPPED! TORTURED!" she shouted, "Okay... Probably not the last one... But still!"

"Captured? Kidnapped? What are you talking about?" he asked as he finished off drying Morgana.

"We went into the Metaverse a-and Akira and Ryuji were captured by Shadows!" Sojiro had been trying to understand the 'Metaverse' and 'Shadows' so he seemed to grasp the severity of the situation, "How did things go so wrong, Mona?!" she said, looking down at the cat on the verge of tears.

Morgana spoke calmly, "We need to keep our heads together. We have to tell the others as soon as possible if we want to break them out of there," Sojiro still wasn't used to Futaba talking to a cat...

"What's he saying?" he wondered, unable to understand.

"H-He said we need to tell the others.." she froze.

"What's wrong?" Sojiro asked, trying not to worry.

Shaking her head, "We can tell everyone... Just not Kasumi."

"Oh... Yeah..." Morgana muttered, realising.

"Yoshizawa?" Sojiro asked, "Why not? Surely you'd need everyone's help!" he was trying to keep the situation calm.

"Akira promised her he wouldn't be doing this Phantom Thieves stuff anymore!"

"Why not?"

Futaba paused, looking towards Morgana. The cat shook his head, "That's... That's not my place to say. Just trust me. It would be really bad if Kasumi found out." Akira had only told Morgana, Ryuji and Futaba about Kasumi's pregnancy. Well... He told Morgana. Futaba and Ryuji were 'accidentally' spying on them... for over an hour. The rest of the Phantom Thieves didn't know the reason as to why Akira had stopped going into the Metaverse, he had just told them that he needed a break from it all and they found it best not to pry into their Leader's life.

Morgana hummed, "We can't keep her out of the dark, Futaba... It's not fair to her."

The girl groaned. She sat down and held her head in her hands.

Sojiro frowned at the girl sympathetically before heading over to the back of the café, "I'll make some coffee. Call your friends," he ordered.

"Tell Kasumi first. It's only right," Morgana said.

Futaba pulled out her phone and scrolled, searching for Kasumi's contact, "Do I really have to?"

"Yes! If she finds out that Akira's in the Metaverse without anyone telling her, who knows how reckless she will get?! We don't want her going in after him alone!"

The seriousness sunk in, Futaba understood quickly as she messaged Kasumi.

'Hey it's urgent'

"Getting straight to the point..." Morgana said, glancing at the phone.

'What's wrong?' Kasumi replied a few minutes later.

'Can you come over to LeBlanc as soon as possible?' her fingers froze before she decided to add: 'It's Akira.'

* * *

Kasumi was up on her feet immediately, making her way over to the front door.

'On my way.' she texted before tapping on her phone, trying to get to Akira's contact. She wasted no time in ringing his phone. And of course, no answer, "Please be okay," she said, putting her phone in her pocket.

 _What had happened? What was going on?_ Kasumi tried not to panic but she was finding it hard to keep calm.

 _Had he gone into the Metaverse? What if he was dead or being tortured or-_ Kasumi shook her head and took a deep breath, "It's okay, 'Sumi..." she whispered to herself, "He wouldn't break his promise," she hoped he wouldn't, at least.

She managed to catch the next train to Yongen-Jaya, trying her best not to visibly worry. She fiddled with a loose thread on her sleeve as she sat on the train, praying that her phone would ring... But it never did.

Her walk was fast paced as she made her way to LeBlanc. Despite living with Akira in their new home, they regularly visited Sojiro and Futaba so finding the place wasn't a problem for her. Tears had finally started to form in her eyes, what she would give to see him right now. What she would give to _hold_ him right now.

"Yoshizawa!" Sojiro exclaimed as he opened the door, "Come in, you must be freezing!" he said, his caring nature seeping through. Kasumi had barely noticed how cold she was feeling from the rain, she was too focused on Akira.

"Where is he?" Kasumi asked, trying not to cry, "Where's Akira?"

Sojiro handed her a cup of her favourite coffee blend and guided her over to the table. He knew that she and Akira had been together for years. Despite not being related to Akira, he saw him as a son. He started to see Kasumi as a daughter-in-law a few years back. He had teased Akira about proposing to her countless times. He still hadn't done it.

"Take a seat," he said, warmth in his voice, "I'll grab you a blanket."

Kasumi sat opposite Futaba, shivering, "A-Akira-"

"It'll be okay, Kasumi," Morgana said, walking across the table to her.

Kasumi wasted no time in bringing the cat into her arms, she had hugged Morgana countless times for comfort.

Futaba gulped, "Akira he... Well... He's-"

"He's in the Metaverse, isn't he?" Kasumi said, wiping a tear from her eye as she let Morgana go.

Sojiro walked over and carefully draped a blanket over Kasumi's shoulders. She thanked him for the blanket and coffee as she took a small sip. Sojiro decided to step away and clean up in the back of the café, he thought it would be best to leave them in private.

"I'm so sorry Yoshizawa," Morgana said, "He's been captured by Shadows. Same as Ryuji."

Kasumi wasn't sure on whether to be angry or upset. The mix of emotions was almost unbearable.

_Did he break his promise?_


	2. The Prosecutor

Kasumi sat alone at a separate table in LeBlanc. The rest of the Phantom Thieves were gathered round another. The redhead simply sipped her coffee, her grip was slightly too tight on the mug. Despite knowing everyone for years, she was still quite reserved around them. She had built up some trust issues overtime.

"What even happened?" Makoto asked.

"It was a complete accident!" Futaba tried to reason, "Ryuji and Akira were messing around with the nav and... Well it worked and-"

"They shouldn't have been so reckless!" Kasumi exclaimed in frustration.

"Why would they even mess with something like that!?" Ann questioned, in complete shock and quite clearly annoyed. Makoto placed a reassuring hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"We haven't gotten results in so long! Ryuji was saying some stupid stuff and Akira joined in and then... And then they found a result and the navigation started on its own!" Futaba exclaimed, "They were surrounded too fast to react properly!"

Morgana replied, "It's true."

"This is awful," Haru said, extremely worried, "We're going in after them, aren't we?"

Yusuke nodded, "We must. If it were any one of us, Akira would come."

Kasumi frowned. She was gonna kill him. Well... She was gonna kiss him and hug him and _then_ kill him. Her hands shook as she let go of the mug. She was trying to stay strong and not show any emotions. She couldn't stop the stray tear from trickling down her cheek. Makoto looked over and gave her a sympathetic look. The brunette decided to stand and walk over to Kasumi.

Makoto could see that Kasumi was trying to keep it together, "We'll get him back, Yoshizawa," she said as she sat down next to her. She put her arm around Kasumi's shoulders.

She nodded and smiled sadly, "Yeah..."

"Akira is strong. And hey, Ryuji is stronger than he looks. They'll be fine," Ann spoke.

"We should head to Shibuya tomorrow morning," Morgana suggested.

"T-Tomorrow?" Kasumi questioned, causing the cat to jump over to her table.

Morgana nodded, "It's too risky heading into the Metaverse at night. And besides, it's getting way too late. You should all think about heading to bed soon," Morgana could feel the tension and stress radiating from Kasumi. He couldn't imagine how much pressure she must be feeling right now.

Sojiro was nice enough to let everyone stay over at LeBlanc for the night. There was plenty of space upstairs in Akira's old room.

Everyone stood and began to make their way towards the stairs.

"I'll lock up on my way out," Futaba said, she was going to head back home and be with Sojiro. She grabbed her phone and said her goodbyes before heading out the door, locking it behind her.

"Yoshizawa?" Haru asked as she passed by, noticing that Kasumi was stiff in her seat.

"I... I don't think I-"

Haru cut her off, "I understand," she offered a smile, "Just call if you need anything. I'll be back down with a pillow," Haru said.

"I'll stay with her," Morgana reassured. Kasumi didn't want to be constantly reminded of Akira, she really didn't want to go upstairs.

Kasumi pulled the blanket tighter around her form, "Do you need extra blankets, Yoshizawa?" Haru asked.

"No... It's fine. Thank you," the redhead gave a genuine smile in return, Haru nodded before heading up to grab Kasumi a pillow.

* * *

Kasumi shivered as she lay down on the chair, she was worried that she would wake up and smack her head on the table.

Morgana sat on the table, looking down at her sadly, "Are you okay, Yoshizawa?"

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, "I will be. I'm angry but... I still worry for him, you know? Ryuji, too."

"Yeah..." Morgana said, "I'm sorry that we were so reckless, I-"

Kasumi quickly hushed him, "Don't worry about it, Morgana. Lets just focus on sleeping for now," she really didn't want to keep thinking of Akira right now. Morgana got the hint as he lay down on the cold table, his ears drooped out of sadness as he closed his eyes. Kasumi opened her eyes before she decided to sit up. A soft smile spread across her lips as she picked Morgana up and lay back down, the cat jolted in surprise but soon understood. He smiled before curling up on Kasumi's chest, she gave him a small pat on the head before saying, "Goodnight, Morgana."

"Goodnight, 'Sumi," Morgana muttered with a purr, too tired to care about formalities.

Upon closing her eyes, she saw him. _Akira_. Invading her head once again.

* * *

Kasumi was awoken by a loud banging at the door. And yes... She did wake up and bang her head on the table.

Morgana had jumped out of shock and landed on the floor, "Ouch..." he mumbled, "Who is that?" he glared over at the door, looking at the figure behind the glass.

Rubbing her head, she stood up and put the blanket aside before making her way over to the door. The sun was only just rising so it was early, "I really would've liked some more sleep..." she sighed. She hadn't slept a lot, the thought of Akira was keeping her awake. Another loud series of banging emitted from the door, "I'm coming!" she called, hoping not to wake the others upstairs.

Kasumi grabbed the spare key from the counter and went to unlock the door, she tried to keep upright as she felt the need to sleep wash over her again.

"Ah, Yoshizawa," said the familiar face as the door opened.

"N-Niijima-?"

Sae allowed herself into the café, brushing past Kasumi, "Sorry for coming over so early. I didn't want to waste any time."

A loud yawn emitted from Kasumi, "Wh-What? Why are you he-"

"Makoto alerted me about the situation last night," she said, moving over to sit on one of the stools at the counter, "I want to make sure you aren't going to get into too much trouble."

She couldn't stop yawning as she closed the door, locking it back up, "The others are upstairs," she told Sae, "I can go wake them if you want?" Kasumi was surprised that none of the others had even woken up by this point.

"Give them a little more time..." Sae decided before glancing at Kasumi, "You look like you could use some more sleep too, Yoshizawa."

Shaking her head, suppressing another yawn, "Coffee will wake me up. Want some?" she offered before making her way behind the counter. Morgana tried his best to ignore the two as he jumped up onto the chair and curled up in the blanket.

"I don't want to trouble you-"

"I-It's okay," Kasumi assured, already preparing to make her some. She felt a slightly awkward atmosphere surround her. Her and Sae never really interacted unless it was absolutely necessary, so being alone with her right now was slightly off-putting, "H-How'd you like it?" she asked.

"I'll have what you're having," Sae decided, "I've heard you make good coffee."

"Oh?" Kasumi wondered in confusion, "Who said that?"

"Kurusu. I've heard him talk about you a lot when he visits Makoto. He's usually so quiet, but the amount he talks when it's about you is scary."

A sad smile appeared on Kasumi's face then, "Well... I'm nowhere near as good as him."

"I apologise for bringing him up," Sae immediately regretted saying Akira's name.

"It's fine. Please. Don't apologise," two hot mugs of coffee were soon on the counter, Kasumi watched as the older woman took a sip, "So. How is it?"

A smile formed, Sae nodded, "It's incredible. I knew I could count on you."

Kasumi felt her cheeks heat up before moving around the counter to sit on a stool next to the prosecutor, "I-I'm glad you like it."

The two sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying their coffee. Kasumi was glad that she started to feel more awake as the time went by. Morgana startled her when he jumped up onto the counter, "Boss won't be happy if he finds out you've been on the counter, Morgana."

"Well then, don't tell him," he replied, looking at mug in Kasumi's hands. Sae eyed the cat and the girl.

"You ever tried coffee?" Kasumi asked him.

Morgana hummed, "Akira let me a few times. Although, I'm sure I'm not supposed to drink it." Sae still found it astonishing that the Phantom Thieves could communicate with a cat... Even after all these years. A part of her wished she could hear Morgana. The cat looked over at Sae and tilted his head, "We could always take her into the Metaverse you know? So she could hear me."

"We could do that..." Kasumi agreed, surprised that it hadn't already happened in the past few years.

"Do what?" Sae asked, curious.

"Morgana thinks that we should take you into the Metaverse so you can hear him."

"Would that be wise?" Sae wondered, drinking her coffee.

"You could come with us when we go and find Akira and Ryuji."

"But-"

Kasumi cut Sae off, "I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves when Akira isn't around," Makoto would be next in line for leader if Akira and Kasumi weren't available, "I can decide whether or not you can come into the Metaverse with us."

Sae glanced down at Kasumi's stomach briefly, "Is it a good idea for you to be going?"

"Wh-What?" Kasumi stuttered.

"What with your condition-"

"How? H-How do you know about that?"

"Kurusu told me."

She felt a wave of anger wash over her, "Why?!"

"I came here for coffee one day and he was looking very panicked. We sat down and talked and he was just telling me how worried he was about you. I promised him that I wouldn't let you into the Metaverse under any circumstances. He didn't specifically tell me what was going on, but I worked it out."

She shook her head, "You can't stop me. I-I have to go. I-" she was starting to panic.

Sae placed a hand on Kasumi's shoulder, "Deep breaths, Yoshizawa."

Morgana nudged Kasumi's hand in comfort, "Are you sure you want to go into the Metaverse, Yoshizawa?" he asked.

Nodding, Kasumi gulped, "Yes," she looked at Sae with determination, "And you're coming with us."


	3. Her Senpai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Kasumi share a moment... Or do they?

Sae agreed to take Ann, Makoto and Futaba to Shibuya in her car. The rest of the Phantom Thieves were going to catch the train, Sae insisted on paying for their trip as she handed the money to Kasumi.

"Yoshizawa?" Yusuke asked as they all walked to the station.

"Hmm?"

"Sorry for intruding... but you don't seem to have slept much."

Sighing, Kasumi nodded, "It was difficult. But I'll be okay. As long as I have all of you, we can do this."

Yusuke offered a small smile. Haru smiled too, "We've got this," she assured.

Morgana poked his head out of Kasumi's backpack, "We haven't been in the Metaverse for quite some time. I hope you two have been staying on track with your training," he said to Yusuke and Haru. He knew that Kasumi was still dancing and training as much as she could alongside Akira.

"Of course, Mona-Chan!" Haru exclaimed.

"Most definitely," Yusuke nodded.

* * *

"S-Senpai?" Kasumi whispered, looking up at Akira - his body hovered over hers. He loved being alone with her, she always let her walls down. She acted tough around their friends, but she was still just as shy as the day he met her. Making her flustered was one of his favourite things to do.

His hands were planted on either side of Kasumi's head on the pillow, "Is my little 'Sumi shy?" he teased her.

"N-No!" she exclaimed, tilting her head to look away, hoping to hide her blush. He leaned his face in closer to hers, putting a hand under her chin to make her look at him again, "Senpai..." she breathed out. Her arms were stiff by her side, not daring to touch him.

Akira smirked, slowly leaning in to brush his lips against hers. He pulled away, staring into her red eyes, "Kasumi," he paused, focusing on her rapid breathing, "I love you," his hand began to trail down her body

Kasumi licked her lips, daring to take a glance at his mouth, "Senpai.. I lo-"

* * *

Joker was suddenly awoken by a bang. He stirred and look around in shock. He saw Skull using a rock to bang against the metal bars of the cell. Joker was slowly starting to hate the Metaverse. He missed it. But this was making him wish he never came back. He looked down at his phone... Still no signal. Was it the Metaverse causing his phone to malfunction? He'd guessed that Kasumi had found out by now. He couldn't bare the thought of how mad she was or how worried she was because of him.

"Will you cut that out?" Joker asked, finally starting to get annoyed, "It won't work and you'll only make whoever is keeping us captive here more likely to kill us."

Skull sighed in defeat, throwing the rock to the ground, "I just hate being cooped up in here, man. I've lost track of time."

"I know," he understood, he expected that the hunger and thirst would settle in soon.

"Sleep well?" Skull asked, sitting on the opposite side of the cell with his back to the wall.

Shaking his head, Joker replied, "Was great. Especially the part when you tried to break out of here woke me up," how he wished he could just keep dreaming about his Kasumi.

"My bad..." he chuckled nervously, "Maybe you should catch some more shut eye. If we ever do get the chance to get out of here, we're gonna need our strength."

Joker looked at him in shock, "That might be the smartest thing you've ever said."

"Thanks," Skull paused, "Wait-!"

Joker chuckled, "Maybe you're right," he didn't enjoy the thought of sleeping without Kasumi by his side again... It took him so long to fall asleep in the first place. It had been so long since he slept alone. The small window in the wall allowed a draft in, causing the two to shiver. Skull stood to look out of it.

"Hey, remember when we turned into mice back in that palace?" he asked as he looked out at the night sky.

"Don't remind me," Joker replied, rubbing his arms in an attempt to keep warm, "Why'd you bring that up?"

"That would be really helpful right about now," Skull paused, "Could just... climb on through." Joker rolled his eyes before reluctantly lying down on the damp cold floor, he was thankful for his coat.

"Keep the noise down," Joker mumbled, an empty feeling fell in the pit of his stomach. He really messed up by coming into the Metaverse, even if it was by accident. His heart ached to see Kasumi again, to make sure she was okay.

* * *

Hopping off the train, the Phantom Thieves let out a sigh of relief, "It was a lot more crowded than usual," Haru said as they all stepped away from the train.

"You still alive back there Morgana?" Kasumi questioned as they made their way through the station.

"Barely," she heard a muffled voice come from her bag.

Yusuke began to walk fast, "We must make haste. We don't want to keep them waiting."

"We could've just taken your car, Yoshizawa..." Morgana mumbled.

"We could have, yes," she stated, "But _somebody_ lost the keys," she jerked the bag slightly, causing the cat to groan in frustration. Morgana had found the keys quite interesting and batted them around for almost an entire day, resulting in the loss of them.

"Point taken," he replied. Haru and Kasumi stayed right behind Yusuke as they made their way through the crowds of Shibuya, they intended to meet up with the others just outside the station. The sun shone bright as they felt the cool air, they were thankful that there wasn't any heavy rain like yesterday. Futaba soon ran towards them when she saw them arrive.

"What took you so long?!" she said, grabbing Yusuke's sleeve and dragging him along.

"I-I did try to rush them along!" he exclaimed, allowing himself to be dragged towards Sae, Makoto and Ann. Kasumi and Haru exchanged smiles before heading over. Sae was stood straight with her arms folded, watching intently as Haru and Kasumi joined them finally. Kasumi noticed how close Ann and Makoto were standing. They _definitely_ didn't intend to invade each other's personal space. Kasumi was well aware of the relationship between Ann and Makoto. They were both caught by Kasumi being _extremely_ close. Despite them denying how they had no feelings for eachother, Kasumi knew the truth. Only she and Morgana knew about them. Morgana had taken it hard when he found out that his precious Lady Ann was smitten with another, but he was slowly getting over it.

"It's time," Sae almost immediately started to head to their destination, everyone started to follow. Ann 'accidentally' brushed past Makoto, following the older Niijima sister. Kasumi hanged back with Makoto smirking at the brunette.

"Don't you start," Makoto sighed. A sad smile played on Kasumi's lips as she watched the group walk on ahead. Seeing Ann and Makoto together made her miss being with Akira. She missed his warmth. She missed his stupid comments that would make her blush and laugh when she needed to be cheered up. She missed how safe she felt around him. Right now, she felt so exposed and weak. He gave her the strength to push on.

"Yoshizawa?" Morgana said with sympathy, moving out of the backpack to peek over her shoulder at her.

"I'm okay. I... I just miss him," she sighed before pressing onwards.

It was almost time to head into the Metaverse.


	4. Velvet Promises

Morgana had directed the group to an alleyway nearby, not wanting the public to see or hear them. Upon arriving at their destination, something... strange happened. Kasumi pulled out her phone, intending to use the Nav, but her head suddenly started to ache. Her legs started to feel weak as her hands shook. The Nav icon on her phone flashed briefly, causing Kasumi's eyes to widen.

Yusuke gasped as he quickly grabbed Kasumi just before she hit the ground, her phone clattered to the floor. Morgana managed to jump out of the bag.

"Wh-What happened?!" Ann exclaimed, Morgana looking up in confusion and worry.

Yusuke lowered himself and Kasumi to the ground, "Dehydration, perhaps?" he asked, trying not to panic.

"I-Is she breathing?" Futaba asked, she had recently started to see Kasumi as a sister-figure so her worries were through the roof.

Nodding, Yusuke reassured, "Yes, I believe she just passed out."

"Is everything okay?" Sae approached, she prayed that it wasn't anything too serious.

"Yoshizawa..." Haru said, sadness clearly in her voice. Futaba bent down to pick up Morgana, the pair were extremely concerned.

Makoto leaned down and picked up Kasumi's phone, the Nav icon was clearly flashing, "Maybe it has something to do with this?" she asked, showing her sister, "Yoshizawa seemed to fall when it started flashing."

Sae took the phone and glanced at it before looking at Kasumi, "We might just have to wait and see what happens."

* * *

" _Inmate!_ "

A loud voice caused Kasumi to jump, almost falling out of the bed she was in. Her blurry vision started to come back into focus as she glanced around the room, she quickly sat up.

"A-A cell?" she whispered. She took a deep breath, it took everything inside of her not to panic. She did _not_ need the stress right now.

"Are you deaf?!" the voice called once more, "On your feet, inmate!"

Kasumi stood, now only noticing her attire. Black and white stripes? Shackles? She grabbed the bars of her cell before peeking through them. She saw three people, man and two girls. The two girls were dressed in blue, seemingly guarding her cell.

"You're finally awake..." the man said from a desk outside the bars. His face was quite unsettling.

"Took you long enough!" one of the girls exclaimed.

"W-What-" Kasumi stuttered. Wasn't she just in Shibuya with her friends? "Wh-Where am I?" she managed to ask.

"Welcome... To the Velvet Room," the man replied with an uneasy smile, "I am Igor. And these are the wardens instructed to watch over you."

"I am Justine."

"I am Caroline. We were instructed to watch over our original inmate. But he has gone missing and we cannot gain contact with him!"

Kasumi did her best to stay calm, she gulped, "O-Original inmate?"

"The Trickster!" Caroline exclaimed.

_The Trickster?_

"A-Akira?" she questioned, still extremely confused about what was going on.

"Precisely," Justine said, softly, "We would like you to get him to safety as soon as possible. We need to speak with him."

"Speak with him?" she was way past confusion at this point... She vaguely remembered Akira telling her about two wardens and man who were helping him through some sort of rehabilitation.

"You are the closest to him in the real world!" Caroline stated, "We have no choice but to trust you."

"However..." Justine began, "We do request that you be careful. We are aware of your status, and we do not want you to put yourself in any unnecessary danger. Stay safe. But get our inmate out of there as soon as possible." The twins were quite clearly aggressive in their own ways... But they weren't complete monsters. Their connection to Akira was strong and they secretly only wanted the best for him. One of Kasumi's hands automatically came up to her stomach.

"We do apologise for the sudden intrusion," Igor assured, "The twins here were just concerned about their inmate."

"I hope we meet again," Justine nodded, "I can sense that you and Cendrillon have a strong bond. I have nothing to worry about your capabilities."

"Make us proud, inmate!" Caroline shouted, banging on the bars.

She realised that she had to do this. For Igor. For the Twins. For her Trickster, "I promise. I'll do my best." Justine offered a small smile and nodded.

Kasumi started to feel dizzy, her legs started to feel weak. She slowly clambered back towards the bed, taking a deep breath before lying down. The shackles were uncomfortable around her wrists as she finally hit the bed.

* * *

"-zawa?"

Kasumi let out a loud gasp as her eyes flew open.

"Yoshizawa?" Makoto asked, worry coursed throughout her.

"Deep breaths," Sae instructed upon seeing the girl in a panicked state. Kasumi managed to slow her breathing down.

"Wh-Wh-" she was still trying to process what had just happened.

Futaba let Morgana down before she spoke, "You've been asleep for almost an hour." Morgana quickly approached, a thankful expression on his face.

"A-An hour?" Kasumi asked in shock. She realised that she was cradled in Yusuke's arms, "I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, trying to escape his hold.

"Nonsense, Yoshizawa," the artist shook his head, "I am simply caring for a friend."

"We didn't want to go into the Metaverse until we knew you were okay," Ann explained.

Kasumi shifted out of Yusuke's grasp and sat on the floor, leaning her back against a stone wall, "I'm sorry..." she said to everyone, "I don't want to be a burden-"

Haru quickly shook her head, "You aren't a burden Yoshizawa," she said, sweetly, "Here." She handed Kasumi a bottle of water, "I went to get this for you after you passed out."

She was now only realising how dry her throat was, "Th-Thank you..." she took the bottle and took a long sip.

"Are you okay, Yoshizawa?" Sae asked. She was still hoping that it wasn't anything to do with the pregnancy.

Kasumi closed her eyes, still slightly tired, "Y-Yes. Please. Don't worry."

"Are you certain that you are able to enter the Metaverse?" Yusuke asked.

Kasumi thought back to the twin wardens. She made a promise to go in after Akira.

"Yes. I have to do this," her eyes opened as she put the top back onto the bottle.

"Don't push yourself, Yoshizawa," Ann worried.

"Akira won't be happy if you get yourself hurt, or worse," Morgana warned, sitting next to her. She gave him a slight scratch on the head.

Akira had promised her that he wouldn't go into the Metaverse. He broke that promise. Kasumi promised the twins that she would get him out of the Metaverse. She wasn't about to follow in his footsteps. She wasn't about to break her promise.


End file.
